Greyhound Protection Act Would End Long Era of Dog Racing in America

Dogs used for racing are kept confined in stacked metal cages for up to 23 hours a day. When let out to race, they suffer serious injuries including broken legs and backs, crushed skulls, and paralysis. Greyhound breeders in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado have been documented killing rabbits in cruel “live lure” training exercises.

Foreign dog tracks are also working to capitalize on the end of greyhound racing in the U.S. by appealing to American gamblers for the first time. Thousands of greyhounds are killed in foreign jurisdictions.

“Greyhound racing is a relic of an era long-past in the United States. It is cruel, inhumane, and thoroughly unpopular with the American public – which is why nearly every state in the union has already voted to outlaw it,” said Congressman Carbajal, the lead Democrat sponsor of H.R. 5017. “As a lifelong friend to animals and a proud member of the Animal Protection Caucus, I’m proud to stand with colleagues from both sides of the aisle and states from across our nation to introduce legislation that will finally put an end to this brutal practice and promote the universal welfare of our greyhounds.”

 “It’s great to work on a bill that protects man’s best friend,” said Congressman Randy Fine, the lead Republican cosponsor and a former gaming executive from the state that until 2020 had the largest number of tracks operating in the U.S. “These animals deserve to be treated with respect and shouldn’t be exploited. In light of National Dog Day, I’m proud to contribute to this important legislation.”

“The Greyhound Protection Act puts an end to the unnecessary, cruel, and risky practice of greyhound racing. For far too long, track operators have exploited animals for gaming dollars. To stop these inhumane and criminal practices, we must ban greyhound racing once and for all,” said Congressman Don Davis.

Since 2020, dog tracks have closed in Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, and Texas. Those announcements came not long after Florida voters in 2018 approved Amendment 13, which banned all live racing in the state by the end of 2020. Floridians approved the measure by a landslide vote of 69% to 31%, even though the vote took place in the industry’s historic stronghold. Just prior to the launch of the ballot measure campaign, Florida had 12 of the 18 operating tracks in the United States.

The company that owns the final two dog tracks, Delaware North, is neutral on the Greyhound Protection Act and supports free-market legislation that would allow its casinos to operate free of dog racing. However, West Virginia law currently mandates that greyhound racing continue as a condition of offering other forms of gambling. The state also requires annual subsidy payments of $17 million to owners of racing dogs. Delaware North is a privately held company based in Buffalo and built around gambling and food service. In 2022 Delaware North did shut down its greyhound racing venue at the Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis, Ark., signaling the company’s view that greyhound racing will not be a future part of its business empire.

The Greyhound Protection Act has been endorsed by more than 250 animal protection groups, local animal shelters, anti-gambling organizations, international NGOs, and greyhound adoption groups. In the last Congress, a nearly identical bill won the support of 80 cosponsors. Notable endorsers include Stop Predatory Gambling, the Federation of Humane Organizations of West Virginia, Eastwood Ranch Rescue, the National Greyhound Adoption Program, the National Humane Education Society and Best Friends Animal Society.

The federal government has authority on this subject because dogs are bred and transported across state lines for racing and races are broadcast to numerous states for simulcast gambling. The bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to achieve its purpose of ending greyhound racing.